Theater View

Everyday I look out the picture window and admire the view. You see, my living room picture window is like being in a theater with a front row seat to nature as it unfolds in front of me. My view allows me to see first hand the wonders of Mother Earth every minute of the day, 365 days a year.

I mark the seasons as the migratory birds come and go in a pattern I am just beginning to understand and appreciate. Last night I was delighted to see the return of the heron. And the other day I watched as the eagle attempted to make lunch out of a duck. Other days I gaze at storm clouds gathering before moving across the waters.

Each of these marvels reminds me of the important balance of nature as the seasons turn throughout the year. I am quite blessed with this view and hope that I never take it for granted.

She’s Six

I recall the moment six years ago

When you graced our lives

With light and sunshine.

You gave me the most wonderful gift

The gift of the title

Grandma – Bebe!

We lovingly embraced you

Marveled at every inch

Awed at every coo

Smiled at every wiggle.

And now today

Much like six years ago

We are still amazed

In your grace

Your wit

Your laughter

Especially when you greet me

Running and calling my name

And wrapping your loving arms

Around me

Never to let me go!

Happy Birthday!

Drama in the Skies

My eyes caught the drama while I was on hold on the phone. I ran to the office to tell my daughter to come look. I must admit the scene was so riveting that I was hoping my connection would not be made just yet. There was too much action happening outside my window.

“Watch out!”

“Another close call!

Watch out!”

“Duck, duck!”

We were talking to the merganser duck that was swimming in the lake outside our living room window. The eagle had spotted the lone fowl and was hovering above, hoping for lunch. The majestic bird was persistent in its practice. Swooping down each time the duck popped up. Fortunately each time the eagle neared, the merganser swam back down deep into the waters.

This back and forth proceeded for five minutes as we watched in total awe. The actions of each bird was amazing with the duck bobbing up and down and the eagle watching under the waves and hovering close.

Finally the eagle had enough, or was too tired to continue, and flew to a nearby tree. And the merganser swam off, shaking off its wings in a seemingly relieved manner. The drama ending as quickly as it started. And I went back to my phone call, still waiting on hold, but smiling at the distraction from the drama in the skies.

Sitting with the Mess

I found myself with a day off and decided the time was right to sort through my bins of photos and albums. The bins haven’t been touched since moving here seven years ago. I knew that some organizing was overdue!

I pulled all the bins from the shelf and opened a few. Being only 11am I knew I could spend the day pouring through the albums and boxes reminiscing, or crying, or laughing. I made the decision to stay focused on sorting and making piles.

As a young mother I had been fastidious about making albums of the lives of our three children. A book for each child chronicling the important events in their lives. That stopped when they became busy teenagers and boxes of photos replaced the books. I figured someday I’d go back to make albums with the pictures that filled the multitude of boxes laying in front of me.

I sorted into piles trying to make sense of it all. The masking tape labels of whose photos were contained in that album was faded and illegible now so guessing was in order. I created stacks of boxes, a stack for each child, and a stack of albums from trips that were ready for display on a shelf.

With sorting completed I wondered what I should do next? My goal was to get them off the cellar shelf and into a more convenient space. How should I proceed? I decided to simply let the piles sit and let the mess percolate into a grand scheme. I know given some space and time, the right idea will come to me.

In the meantime I’m grateful I have the space in my lakefront room to let this mess be!

What do you do when tasks seem overwhelming?

Cousins

A walk in the woods with cousins on a bright and springlike Sunday, with the promise of mud, brings out the colorful rain pants!

Happy colors

Happy kids

Happy Grandma

Cheese!

Tears

I never know when it will hit me

When common words will strike a chord

When what was said will send me back

And time comes tumbling to a halt

I pause to let the words sink in

And take note of the reality

The odd number that stings and burns

Of being

One

Silence hangs in the air

Grief grips strong

Tears fall

I pause to consider

How I miss him so

How Many?

I often play guessing games with myself when I have to conquer a task. This morning it was estimating the number of bags of leaves I’d have from the neat piles I created yesterday.

I had an hour to complete the work. I consider the piles and thought I could get all the leaves to fit in four reasonable sized bags! I had to lug them up front so I wanted to make sure I was being realistic in my guess. After 20 minutes I had filled four bags. Time to reconsider so I upped my guess to six bags!

After filling bag number five I thought the rest of the leaves could easily fit in one more bag. Rake, load, push. Almost there! Yes I made them all fit in six bags. But lifting that bag out of the barrel was next to impossible. My quest to meet my estimate made my task best to impossible.

I laughed at myself as I was emptying half the bag of leaves into a clean bag bringing my total to seven bags!

Man… I hate to be wrong in my guesstimating!

The Everglades are Whispering

We had just about finished our bike ride on the Long Pine Key Nature Trail in the Everglades national Park when our National Park guide asked us to stop for a moment.

“Close your eyes.”

“Listen to the sounds around you.”

“Pay attention to quiet.”

“The Everglades are whispering!”

The guide made note that the Everglades are a quiet place to enjoy. There is no grand wow moment like we experience when first seeing Sequoia National Park, or Grand Canyon, or Yellowstone. Yet, we still need to appreciate and protect this fragile area.

I was moved by these words. They have stuck with me for the week since I first heard them. I think of the fragility of the land and ponder what I can do to better help protect our delicate ecosystems. How can I be a better steward of our national parks and our planet earth?

The Everglades continue to whisper to me.

Beware the Ides of March

“No – it can’t be…” I thought, as I heard a loud engine noise coming from across the yard. It certainly sounds like my neighbor’s generator.

He usually starts that baby up right before a snow storm. The weather today is 50 degrees and sunny. What does he know that I don’t know?

He is a local weather guru and we rely on him to inform us of the snowfall totals and other weather oddities. But starting the generator? It can’t be…

Or can it?

I peek out my window and sure enough I heard right. There my neighbor stands next to his generator purring away.

Is there a snow storm heading our way?

I hope not – I just this morning took down my Christmas tree!

Well – It is the Ides of March after all and anything can happen!

Beware!

Seasonal Musings

The geese are grazing on the lawn

The mergansers bob across the lake

The seagulls float gracefully by

The eagle soars beyond the clouds

It’s spring!

Time to take down the Christmas tree!